A Conversation with Canadian writer Arthur Slade

Looking for your next favorite book? Here are some suggestions from readers at  Watkins Elementary School on Capitol Hill:

Geronimo Stilton - Geronimo Stilton

Athletes vs Mathletes - W.C. Mack

Scare Stories to Tell in the Dark - Alvin Schwartz

Guts - Raina Telgemeier

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney

Basil and Oregano - Melissa Capriglione 

Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan

Matilda - Roald Dahl

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling

Flora and Ulysses - Kate DiCamillo

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Long Haul - Jeff Kinney

Another Kind - Trevor Bream

Last Kids on Earth - Max Brallier

The Babysitters Club - Ann M. Martin

Stone Fox - John Reynolds Gardiner

The Day the Crayons Quit - Drew Daywalt

Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborne

The Getaway - Jeff Kinney

Ranger's Apprentice - John Flanagan

Grandude's Green Submarine - Paul McCartney

Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland

"Divergent" writer Veronica Roth talks about finding the courage to call yourself a writer...and bouncing back from failure.

We continue our Banned Books series, airing episodes that have been banned or challenged around the country. This week, it’s Vernica Roth’s dystopian adventure Divergent. Back in 2015, Ashland High School in Oregon banned Divergent because – according to the school’s online newspaper - the book “shows a girl fighting against society which we do not want to strengthen.” What do you think? Give a listen to our discussion of Veronica Roth’s Divergent.

We venture into a dystopian universe created by writer Veronica Roth. Divergent is a tale about finding out where you fit in – and whether you’re brave enough to take a literal leap of faith. Our celebrity reader is the 2018 Ms. Senior California and a familiar voice on KUNV Rita Pardue. Our readers are from Benjamin Trasker Middle School and we taped the episode at the Bowie, Maryland branch of the Prince Georges County Memorial Library. Kitty Felde is host.

What are the challenges of writing in two languages? Christina Diaz Gonzalez talks about some of the pitfalls of getting the nuances right when Spanish speaking characters are from different countries.

There are some people we just don't notice. A quiet student, immigrants speaking in their own language, a homeless person living in a van - you could call them invisible. That's the name of our book Invisible by Christina Diaz Gonzalez. Students from Swanson Middle School in Arlington, Virginia discuss the bilingual graphic novel with host Kitty Felde. Our celebrity reader is Monica Sanchez.

Favorite Books from Swanson Middle School:

Fifth Quarter - Mike Dawson

The Tryout - Christina Soontornvat 

Cirque du Freak - Darren Shan

Every Last Word - Tamara Ireland Stone

Miss Quinces - Kat Fajardo

Michael Jackson in Comics - Ceka

Christina Diaz Gonzalez' Favorite Book:

A Wrinkle in Time - Madeleine L'Engle

Favorite Books of Monica Sanchez

Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling

I'll Love You Forever - Owen Hart

Books by Monica Brown

Who says kids who love STEM subjects aren't readers? We take to the stage for a live taping of the Book Club for Kids podcast at the 2023 LA Maker Faire/STEM Festival where host Kitty Felde asks kids our hardest question: What's your favorite book and why? Here's their answers:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling

The Magic Treehouse - Mary Pope Osborn

Frog and Toad are Friends - Arnold Lobel

The Golden Books - Disney

Little Blue Truck - Alice Schertle

Percy Jackson - Rick Riordan

The One and Only Ivan - Katherine Applegate

Junie B. Jones - Barbara Park

Pete the Cat - James Dean and Kimberly Dean

Couch Potato - Jory John

They Both Die at the End - Adam Silvera

A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - Holly Jackson

The School for Good and Evil - Soman Chainani

The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins

The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Bad Kitty - Nick Bruel

Looking to start the New Year with some new books? Kids in LA County share their favorites with host Kitty Felde.

Refugee - Alan Gratz

The Secret Lives of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd

Harry Potter and the Sourcerer's Stone - J.K. Rowling

The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton

Parrot in the Oven - Victor Martinez

Enola Holmes - Nancy Springer

The Mysterious Benedict Society - Trenton Lee Stewart

Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan

Dork Diaries - Rachel Renée Russell

The Couch Potato - Jory John

More than 100 million people have fled violence and persecution around the world. But that's just a number. Who are these refugees? Meet Omar. Readers from Dorothy Hamm Middle School in Arlington, Virginia discuss When Stars Are Scattered by Omar Mohammed and Victoria Jamieson. Our celebrity reader is Matthew Saltmarsh from the UNHCR. Kitty Felde is host.